Environmental advocates and neighborhood groups outside Covington say a Serverfarm data center and a neighboring VoltaGrid power plant are going up without the state air permits they believe are required. The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), Sustainable Newton and the Altamaha Riverkeeper sent a letter last Thursday urging the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) to halt construction while regulators scrutinize the companies' filings.
What the groups allege
In a press release from the Southern Environmental Law Center, the groups say aerial images taken on June 19 and again on June 25 show VoltaGrid has already assembled several natural-gas engines. The same photos, they contend, reveal that Serverfarm had installed at least 36 of 37 planned diesel emergency generators at the adjacent site before final air permits were in hand.
The letter asks EPD to "promptly order VoltaGrid and Serverfarm to cease all prohibited construction activities immediately and assess an appropriate penalty," arguing that proceeding without final approvals undercuts the permitting process.
Company responses and permit filings
In an email to Atlanta News First, Serverfarm representative Kurt Widmann said the developer has been working with regulators and added that "none of the generators have been operated nor will they be operated without a permit."
On the power plant side, VoltaGrid has an air permit application on file with EPD under the name VoltaGrid-ATL-1. According to the agency's public advisory, the proposal outlines a 90-megawatt facility that would run on 33 Jenbacher J620 natural-gas reciprocating engines.
EPD's response
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that EPD acknowledged the groups' complaint and said it "will investigate the allegations." The agency also noted it had not issued final permits for the VoltaGrid application as of early this week, leaving the enforcement request from the advocacy groups in limbo while staff complete their review.
Neighbors worry
Nearby residents say they are not waiting calmly on the sidelines. "We're very concerned about the air pollution," Nancy Schulz of Sustainable Newton told Atlanta News First, pointing out that families with young children and seniors live within three miles of the site.
Advocates argue that installing major equipment before permits are finalized can make it harder for regulators to demand tougher pollution controls later, since companies can claim they already sunk significant costs into the existing design.
Why this matters for Georgia
Georgia Tech’s Data Center Ordinance Hub, which tracks local rules around the state, shows how quickly cities and counties are scrambling to respond to a wave of new data facilities and the infrastructure that comes with them. Those efforts are unfolding as communities try to balance economic development with zoning limits and environmental protections.
A Pew Research Center review of industry data found that Georgia had 141 planned data centers as of February 19, 2026. That volume of projects, advocates say, is why both neighbors and regulators are paying close attention to how cases like Covington are handled.
Legal implications and precedent
The groups' letter points to Georgia's federally approved State Implementation Plan, which requires preconstruction permits for new sources of air pollution. SELC says that provision is the legal foundation for its request that EPD step in.
Supporters of the complaint say the conflict is part of a broader national fight over on-site power at massive data campuses. Similar disputes have surfaced elsewhere, including litigation over unpermitted turbines near xAI’s Memphis facilities that environmental organizations have challenged in court, as E&E News reports.
For now, EPD has a formal enforcement request on its desk while residents and advocates wait to see how the agency responds. As the AJC noted, VoltaGrid leaders told reporters the company "appreciates the opportunity to do business in Georgia," and Serverfarm maintains that it has been in consultation with regulators.
The next steps will show whether EPD moves to pause construction, seeks penalties, or lets the projects advance under conditions hammered out through the permitting process.
